Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Rockefeller Opens West Coast Philanthropy Office

Goal is to help regional donors maximize impact of giving

SAN JOSE, Calif., February 26 – Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors today announced the opening of an office in California to assist individuals and families on the West Coast in developing and managing effective giving programs. The expansion comes at a time when the region is experiencing unprecedented growth in philanthropy, with California leading the way, according to Melissa Berman, president and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who made the announcement here today at the Council on Foundations’ annual Family Foundation Conference.

“Even with the current uncertain economic conditions philanthropic leadership and engagement on the West Coast is burgeoning and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future,” said Ms. Berman. “Opening an office in the Bay Area is a natural step in carrying out our mission to extend global giving and make available to a broad range of donors the considerable philanthropic expertise the Rockefeller family has developed over five successive generations,” she continued. “Now we can meet the needs of donors in the west with a knowledgeable local team that works in close concert with our main office.”

Judy Belk, currently a Senior Advisor with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and well known in the philanthropy community both in California and on a national level, is heading the new office.

“This is a particularly exciting time to be involved in philanthropy, and I am gratified to be in a position to connect West Coast donors – known for their innovation and creativity – with the Rockefellers’ tradition of effective giving and the breadth and depth of resources and knowledge Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors offers,” said Ms. Belk.

Ms. Belk cited several factors that were weighed in the decision to establish a dedicated West Coast office, including:

• The fastest growing segment of California’s philanthropic sector has been the creation of new family foundations with living donors;
• The number of family foundations increased twice as fast as all other foundations in the state and projections point to a significant growth in assets and giving over the next two or three decades;
• Although local giving is still the preference for Californians, support for international and national initiatives is growing and exceeds national trends; and
• There is a greater-than-average emphasis by California donors on results, innovation and active involvement.

“Clearly, over the past decade, major cities on the West Coast have emerged as geographic centers for philanthropic activities, but our research has indicated that a great need remains for advice and counsel on how to maximize the impact of those activities and then build on that momentum to reach the next level,” said Ms. Berman. She also noted that, to further broaden the resources available to clients, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has formed a strategic alliance with The Foundation Incubator, a Silicon Valley-based peer learning community of foundations that stimulates collaboration and innovation in philanthropy.

Ms. Belk brings to her new post more than 20 years of experience in strategic philanthropy, community relations, corporate citizenship and non-profit management, including leading the Levi Strauss Foundation. In addition to acting as an adviser for numerous organizations, she currently serves on the board of the Ms. Foundation and is a trustee for Citizens Fund, a family of socially responsible mutual funds with assets over $800 million.

Ms. Belk nd her California-based team will work closely with their colleagues in the main office to help implement the philanthropic visions and goals of donors on the West Coast. The professionals at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors have extensive experience in a broad cross section of global philanthropic issues, including the environment, education, healthcare, community development and the arts, and offer specialized and sophisticated guidance usually available only within major foundations.

“This new office allows us to address the growing interests and unmet needs among donors in this part of the country,” said Eileen Rockefeller Growald, chairperson of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. “The West Coast has been ably represented on our board for several years by noted Bay Area philanthropist Anne Bartley; she was recently joined by Stuart Davidson, who is well known to the West Coast philanthropy community. We believe that these recent developments are further demonstrations of our family’s commitment to enhance and promote philanthropy throughout the world.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 22nd, 2003 at 12:57 pm.